Khaleda shares her governance vision with US envoy
BNP Chairperson and Opposition Leader Khaleda Zia has apprised US Ambassador Dan Mozena of her vision for the country if she forms the government in future. “She shared with me in details her vision for Bangladesh should she form the government. She went through different aspects of that vision,” Mozena told reporters after about an hour-long meeting with Khaleda Zia at her Gulshan office on Monday night.
When asked about Khaleda’s vision of governance, he referred to BNP vice-chairman Shamsher Mobin Chowdhury, who was with the Ambassador while talking to the reporters.
Shamser said that the vision of the BNP Chairperson was to form a government of national unity that would be corruption-free, merit-based and work for the economic prosperity of the country.
The US Ambassador also said, “She (Khaleda) shared with me her determination that Bangladesh would continue to counter violent extremism and Bangladesh would continue to fight terrorism. Bangladesh would cooperate with its neighbours to counter violent extremism.
“She shared with me her belief that all Bangladeshis are equal and protected under the law. I have raised the question of minorities and she said all Bangladeshis are Bangladeshis,” he said.
Mozena lauded BNP’s return to Parliament, saying, “I said this is a very good thing. I said in a democracy that is where the opposition should be.”
About hartals, he said, “I shared with her and she already knows that I don’t like hartals because hartals penalise ordinary people. What I like is a political process taking place in parliament.”
Asked if Khaleda agreed with his views on hartals, the envoy again referred to Shamsher, who said that there would be more hartals if needed and that there would be no need for hartals if the demand of caretaker government was met.
Mozena described hartals as destructive and said that they were not democratic exercises.
“Everyone has the right to express his or her views peacefully but not violently and not forcing other people to agree,” he said.
On elections, the US ambassador, who returned from Washington about a week ago, said, “Of course, we discussed the election process. I shared with the chairperson America’s view that it is important for the two parties to actually talk to each other. And, I know efforts have been made in that regard and I will do everything I can to support those efforts.”
“And, it is critical to keep trying to get that dialogue underway so that the parties can find a mutually-agreed way forward. Only the Bangladeshis themselves can do this to find a mutually-agreed way forward to hold free, fair and credible elections,” he said.
Asked if USA would play the role of a catalyst, Mozena said, “I don’t think Bangladesh needs a catalyst. This is an ancient culture. They know their language very well. I don’t think they need an outsider to do that.”
Asked if BNP was the right party to counter terrorism, he said, “The Chairperson pointed out in great pride her own record in countering terrorism. She listed a number of individuals whom her government had detained.”
BNP acting secretary general Mirza Fakhrul Islam Alamgir was present during the meeting.
-With The Independent input
